MONGOL ZURAG : THE ART OF RESISTANCE
April 20 - November 24, 2024
Mongol Zurag : The Art of Resistance by Prof. Uranchimeg Tsultem, Herron School of Art+Design, the Mongol Zurag Society
Artists: Nyam-Osoryn Tsultem (1924-2001), Baasanjav Choijiljav, Baatarzorig Batjargal, Urjinkhand Onon
Curator: Uranchimeg Tsultem
Project Team: B. Nyamkhuu (Chairman, Mongol Zurag Society), O. Angaragsuren (Assistant Curator, Mongol Zurag Society), M. Otgontuul (Assistant Curator, Mongol Zurag Society), Lisa Cooreman (Fehnel Fellow, Herron School of Art+Design)
Open Tuesdays to Sundays, closed on Mondays
April 18 - September 30 : 11 am – 7 pm
October 1 - November 24 : 10 am – 6 pm
For Preview on April 17-19, please RSVP at utsultem@iu.edu
Free admission
Address: Garibaldi Gallery, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 1815, Castello, 30122 - Google maps link
Opening event: April 18 at 8.30pm
Special event: Prof. Uranchimeg Tsultem will give a talk on April 19 at 4pm at Cà Foscari University
This pioneering exhibition introduces the Mongol Zurag ("Mongolian picture") tradition through historical and contemporary paintings by four prominent artists.
Originating during the Cold War era, the tradition emerged amidst debates surrounding national identity and the preservation of cultural heritage, spurred by the socialist government's eradication of Buddhist culture in favor of Socialist Realism. Moving beyond discourses on national borders, the Mongol Zurag artists of today respond to the pressing global issues, from the global pandemic to political failures around the world and environmental crises. The artists in this exhibition continue the legacy of creativity as a means of resistance against various manifestations of power, whether it is the imposed Socialist Realism of the Cold War era that was made mainstream in Mongolia, or the pervasive influence of destructive neoliberalism in modern times.